The Student Newspaper of Mount Saint Joseph High School

Highlighting Student Achievement in the Arts

Fine Arts week has just concluded. This, for students of Saint Joe, marks the beginning of the end of the school year and the opportunity to see new expressions of emotions. The crown jewel of Fine Arts Week is inarguably The Art Show. Student art is used to decorate the second floor of Xavier Hall and the main entrance of the building. The art created by students throughout the year is presented at this gala. With many beautiful pieces of art, one would be hard-pressed to not find something they like.

I spoke with the newest member of the Art Department, Ms. Bastidas, and asked her what new projects she implemented into her classes. Ms. Bastidas explained that she introduced several different pieces seen very rarely in the shows of the past; she brought in weaving, charcoal portraits, mask building, soapstone carvings, still lives, and much more. Ms. Bastidas explained how she wanted the art created by students to express their emotions through their pieces and to learn more about symbolism as they incorporated it firsthand. Many of her fundamental students, as well as her advanced students, were able to show their rising talents by touching the canvas with their imagination–and brush of course.

The AP Studio Art students are renowned for creating some of the best art in the show, and the best art by these students is being displayed in the center of the studio on the second floor of Xavier Hall with even more work being placed in the showcase next to the front doors. The art coming from these students is quite diverse as well. Some of these students took to inspirations one would not expect to see in a high school show. One student, Aaron, had several paintings within the show that expressed the second side of life here within Baltimore City; these pieces show the disparity of living within the underdeveloped areas and the impact it has the young men and women’s social standing. To quote Aaron, “My inspiration are the daily struggles that I experience and visualize with my brothers of the Baltimore streets. The conflicts of the denomination of lower class African American population should not be overlooked!” (Born Dead & The Temptation)

“My inspiration are the daily struggles that I experience and visualize with my brothers of the Baltimore streets. The conflicts of the denomination of lower class African American population should not be overlooked!”

As shown through our past art shows, inspiration can come from anything. Joseph R, a senior, stated that his inspiration came from not only the pieces of art his teachers have created, but the relationships he has with those around him. Joseph also explained how his pieces don’t require the inspiration from a person but rather, “the way the paint interacts with the canvas leads me to the next step in the process.” Another student, Alex F, explained that sometimes you don’t need inspiration from the environment but just from how you feel. For example, two of his pieces displayed in the show were labeled after emotions and depicted them as such through the alteration and destruction of the canvases. To quote him, “Art is the greatest escape from reality.” This is a great way to teach the significance of art and why the young men of Mount Saint Joseph should involve themselves with the wonderful experiences of art.